Car-coupling



(Nomod'el'.)

Gr. W. SMILLIE.

GAR GOUPLING. No. 402,775. Patented May '7, 1889.

N4 PETKRS. Photouihagnphnr, Wnshi nnnnnnn l C UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE W. SMILLIE, OF NEVARK, NEV JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 402,775, dated May '7,1889. Application filed February l, 1888. Serial No. 262,674. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SMILLIE, a citizen of the United Stat-es,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of whichthe following, taken in connection with the drawings furnished, is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplers in which theconnecting-link is automatically supported in a horizontal position,when desirable, by one of the couplingsockets, yet allowed to yield inthe proper direction when engaging with another coupler when upon thesame or a different plane, it being an improvement upon inventionsforwhich patents were granted to me July 8, 1884, and April 19, 1887 and itconsists, principally, in the means, factors, and combinations of suchby which the coupling is made more effectual, useful, and convenient forthe various purposes intended, the object of which is to so form thecoupling-heads that they may serve the double purpose of buffers andcoupling-sockets and by their peculiar construction save the linkconnective at its pivotal points from injury when in practice.

Another object is to so construct the coupling-head that it may hold thecouplingpin loosely suspended upon a notch or rest when not connectedwith the other, that the jolt or jar caused by the contact of a carbacked up for connection will loosen the said pin from its position anddrop through the link into position without the aid of a person toassist in their union.

Another object is to hold the link-pin securely suspended above the linkwhen the car is intended to stand without connection with others, aswhen to be left upon switches or'side tracks, all of which will behereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of myimproved coupler and buffer with levers, catches, and stops forsuspending and operating the coupling-pin, which parts are attached tovthe front of a car-frame. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of myimproved coupling and buer-head, showing the coupling-pin supportedabove the link. Figs. 3 and 4 represent a front and edge view of a stopserving to check the upwardmovement of the coupling-pin, lever, andsupporting-catch; Fig. 5, edge view of left lever and supporting-catch,

the front of which is shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

6 represents a catch adapted for supporting or holding the lift-leverwith coupling-pin up when desired, being a modication of that shown inFig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the draw-head, substantially ofthe same form as that shown in the first of the patents hereinbeforereferred to, with the exception of the outer extremity or head, which,instead of being hopper-shaped or flaring out uniformly, or nearly so,from the center, as that shown in my patent of July 8, 1884, Ire-enforce by thickening the upper portion of the same and drop or lowerthe upper surface or edge slightly in order to bring it nearer on thesame line or level with the main portion of the said draw-head, in orderto gain the additional strength resulting thereby, and extend or projectit beyond the lower edge or front surface and sides of the saidcoupling-head to form a bearing-surface with a broadened face, as moreclearly appears in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. This feature has beenfound in practice to be Very important, as it not only protects thelower face surface of the couplerhead from injury and bruises byfrequent concussion of engaging parts in practice, thereby preventingthe hinged connective which holds the link from being battered, but italso enables the constructer to dispense with the buffers usuallyemployed, generally located upon each side of the draw-bar or couplerupon the carframe, thereby allowing theJ train-men additional spacebetween the ends of the cars, and consequently additional security tothemselves when for any reason they are called upon to act between theends of connecting cars, and thus the danger of coupling and unoouplingof cars is materially diminished.

B represents a vertical opening or receptacle in the said draw-head forthe admission of the coupling-pin C; D, a spring-actuated plungeroperatin g within a longitudinal chamber, e, in the said draw-head. Thesaid plunger is thrown across the opening B when the coupling-pin isdrawn above the said opening by the spring d.

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The coupling-link E is loosely secured to the draw-head through themedium of a connective (shown at F) pivotally united at both ends, andwhen in position for coupling is held horizontally, or nearly so, toengage readily with the cofoperating draw-head, the link being widerthan the plunger and the chamber with its recesses within which the saidlink is sustained in position. (More fully described in my patent ofJuly 8, 1884.)

b represents a step or recess forming a rest located in one side of thesaid opening or receptacle B to form a support for the couplingpin Cwhen drawn above or withdrawn from the coupling-link. In order that thecouplingpin may catch and keep its position on the said rest 19,1 formone side of the said pin straight, or nearly so, to its end and round ortapering on. the side opposite the former, as shown at c in Fig. 2.

The use of the pin and rest h, as described, is required principally inthose cases where the coupler is not provided with a lever or othersimilar means for withdrawing and supporting the coupling-pin. Vhen acar is to be uncoupled, the pin C is raised or drawn from its positionWithin the coupling-link and supported on the rest h, thus allowing thecars to uncouple without further assistance on the part of the operator,and when the cars come together the plunger D is by the jolt thrown backwithin the chamber e on engagement with the coupling-link, said linkbeing held by the coupling-head horizontally, or nearly so, as beforedescribed, and the jar caused by the colliding or coming together of thecars is usually sufficient to jar or throw the coupling-pin from itssupport on the rest b into position within the coupling-link, and by sodoing a single person can couple the same number of cars formerlyrequiring several men to do.

F represents a lever adapted to be fulcrumed to the face or frame of acar, provided with a iixed arm, G, extending therefrom and connected tothe coupling-pin C through the medium of a link, l-I. The said lever Fis provided with the arms f f,extendin g at right angles therefrom, allarranged and operated substantially as described and shown in my patentof April 19, 1887.

i 1l represent suitable fulcrum-bearings for the said lever F', securedto the face or frame of a car and on each side of the arm G.

I represents a stop of suitable material adapted to be secured at itslower end to the face or frame of a car, and is provided with an angleor bend, (more clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4,) in order to throw theupper part of the said bar from the face of the car in order to allow itto extend beyond the face of the lever F.

J represents a slot or guideway in 'the upper part of the said stop,through which the fixed arm or extension G projects. The length of thesaid slot J is adapted to be varied by an adjustable screw, J located atand projecting through the upperl end of the stop, against which the armG may strike or rest when the coupling-pin is drawn up to prevent thesaid pin from being withdrawn or jerked from its proper position withinthe opening or receptacle B in addition to the pintle or projection 7o,with which the said coupling-pin is provided at or near its end. It isobvious, however, that other suitable devices maybe secured in proximityto arms G, or near the handles f and fulcrum-bearings t' t', as shown inFigs. l and 5 of the drawings, and forming a stop for the arm G; or,again, the arm G may be provided with an arm or extension of suitablelength on the side nearest the car.

The arm G, when drawn or raised up withini the slot J for the purpose ofdrawing up the coupling-pin, is adapted to be heldin. its raisedposition bya stop consisting of a catch (shown at L) pivotally securedto the said stop I at one side of the slot J, as shown in Fig. 3. Thiscatch may be operated in one direction by a spring in a manner to throwthe same across the slot or opening J to engage or catch the arm G andhold the same in suspension. When it is desired to have the coupling-pindrop in position, disengagement of the catch is accomplished by a lineor rod attached to the said catch L, the free end of which may besecured to the top, side, or any other desired position on the car orframe thereof. I

Figs. 5 and 6 represent different means for operating the coupling-pin.

The chief object of my several catches and supports is to support thecoupling-pin in a raised position when not desired to have the sameoperate automatically, as hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 5, p represents a movable support for the arm or extension f torest on and adapted to be supported on the catch p.

In Fig. G the support p is secured at the side of the car or frame andprovided at its end with a notch or opening to engage one of the severalnotches located on the under side of 4the arm Having thus set forth myinvention, what I claim as new, an d desire to secure by Letters Patentof the United States, is-

1. The combination, in a car-coupling provided with a draw-head,link,coupling-pin, and ahorizontally-arranged lever to which saidcoupling-pin is connected, provided with arms at each end thereof, ofone or more bars or rods pivotally secured to the frame of the car,adapted to be supported by a catch when in a raised position to supportsaid arm s, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a car-coupling provided with a draw-head having athickened upper face, lilik, coupling-pin, and a projectinghorizontally-arran ged lever provided with a fixed arm or projectionextending therefrom for connection with said coupling-pin, of an uprightarm adapted to be secured to the face of the car, provided with alongitudinal open,-

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ingl through Which-the fixed arm of said horizontal lever projects, andan adjusting-screw arranged in said upright arm, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, With a draw-head provided With avertical opening` or pin-receptacle having a rest or support in one sidethereof, a link, coupling-pin, and a horizontally-arranged lever havinga lined arm extending therefrom, of avertically-arranged 1o arm providedwith an opening in which said flxed arm operates, an adjusting-screw,and a spring-catch, substantially as described, and for the purpose setforth. GEO. WV. SMILLIE. Witnesses:

JOHN DANE, Jr., CHARLES F. DANE.

